A new species of ancient beaver that was rediscovered by researchers in The University of Texas at Austin’s fossil collections has been named after Buc-ee’s, a Texas-based chain of popular travel centers known for its cartoon beaver mascot.
A new genetic discovery adds weight to a theory that motor neurone degenerative diseases are caused by abnormal lipid (fat) processing pathways inside brain cells. This theory will help pave the way to new diagnostic approaches and treatments for this group of conditions. The discovery will provide answers for certain families who have previously had no diagnosis.
Scientists evaluate the evidence that intensive livestock farming is causing pandemics, and find that intensive farming could actually reduce the risk of future pandemics compared to 'free-range' farming.
While the modernisation of the countryside has given us clean farm buildings equipped with the latest technology that increases the competitiveness of livestock production, it also has its negative aspects. It has resulted in there being dramatically less space for nesting birds such as the swallow, the martin, and the little owl. Researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the CAS have issued a warning and are proposing measures to help the birds. The results of their study were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology in 2022.
A new species of ancient beaver that was rediscovered by researchers in The University of Texas at Austin’s fossil collections has been named after Buc-ee’s, a Texas-based chain of popular travel centers known for its cartoon beaver mascot.
A new study has found that a highly antibiotic-resistant strain of the superbug MRSA – methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus – has emerged in livestock in the last 50 years, probably due to widespread antibiotic use in pig farming.
Researchers studying mice have found the first evidence of how a mother’s gut microbes can help in the development of the placenta, and the healthy growth of the baby.
Healthy food cues standing alone don’t prompt healthier buying decisions, but they may counter advertising for sugary and fatty foods, says study co-authored by Cambridge researchers.
A major study of children with intellectual disabilities has highlighted the additional challenges that they often face, including a much-increased likelihood of being diagnosed as autistic, as well as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other mental health difficulties.
Men with early, curable stages of prostate cancer are missing opportunities to have their cancer detected because national guidelines and media health campaigns focus on urinary symptoms despite a lack of scientific evidence, say experts at the University of Cambridge.
It’s called Blastocrithidia nonstop and it’s a parasite – unknown until now to the scientific community and very unique at the same time. Why is its discovery so extraordinary? Experts have discovered that this newly described protozoan exhibits a completely unpredictable and distinct deviation from the genetic code that is otherwise identical in the vast majority of organisms, including humans. The genetic mystery was cracked by Czech molecular biologists, primarily from the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS and the Institute of Parasitology of the Biology Centre of the CAS. The project was supported by the Czech Science Foundation and the study was published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature.
Trilobite larvae played a vital role as a source of food for certain marine animals. Researchers discovered that the larvae served as an intermediary in the food chain for larger sea organisms that were unable to feed on plankton due to its size. The lead author of the study, published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, is paleontologist Lukáš Laibl from the Institute of Geology of the CAS. Farid Saleh and Francesc Pérez-Peris from the University of Lausanne also collaborated on the research.
According to the theory of anti-tumor immune surveillance, the immune system can neutralise most tumor cells before the disease ever develops. Despite this, nearly 90,000 cancer patients are diagnosed in the Czech Republic every year. The research of the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology at the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS is contributing to the search for new treatment options making use of the immune system itself. We covered the topic in the CAS magazine A / Věda a výzkum. This story is being featured on the occasion of World Cancer Day, which falls on Saturday, 4 February this year.
Researchers behind discoveries that led to vaccines for the virus that causes COVID-19 have identified a potential Achilles heel that exists in all coronaviruses.
The genetic map of western and central Eurasia changed significantly after the last glacial maximum about 20,000 years ago. Geneticists, together with anthropologists and archaeologists, studied the complete human genome of 356 individuals who lived 50,000–5,000 BCE. The study, published in Nature, also examined remains from the well-known triple burial at the Dolni Vestonice site, which were analysed by experts from the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Brno.
Adult and adolescent cannabis users are no more likely than non-users to lack motivation or be unable to enjoy life’s pleasure, new research has shown, suggesting there is no scientific basis for the stereotype often portrayed in the media.
Cambridge scientists have discovered that cancer cells ‘hijack’ a process used by healthy cells to spread around the body, completely changing current ways of thinking around cancer metastasis.
A new report highlights the advances and challenges in prevention, clinical care, and research in traumatic brain injury, a leading cause of injury-related death and disability worldwide.
Robots can be better at detecting mental wellbeing issues in children than parent-reported or self-reported testing, a new study suggests.
Eating pheasant killed using lead shot is likely to expose consumers to raised levels of lead in their diet, even if the meat is carefully prepared to remove the shotgun pellets and the most damaged tissue.